Midnight Blues is the ninth
release (including a best-of compilation and a DVD)
by Magic Slim & The Teardrops released on the
Blind Pig Records label. Seriously, there have been
a lot of them, and this one is ranks right up there
among the best of them. Magic Slim (born Morris
Holt) is in his 70s now and is one of the last old-school
Chicago shuffle-kings, but he can still burn through
the blues like a man half his age when he wants
to. He used most of his touring band in recording
this CD, including long-time 2nd guitarist Jon McDonald
and bass player Danny O’Connor, so you get
the true Teardrop sound throughout these recordings.

Speaking of recordings, Midnight
Blues was produced by Nick Moss. Nick is a familiar
face and name to St. Louis blues fans. He records
with his own band (The Flip Tops) and owns the Blue
Bella record label out of Chicago. He’s been
producing artist for his own label’s releases,
as well as for other labels’ releases, for
some time now and he specialized in the old-school,
no-frills, gut-bucket, butt-rockin’ feel-like-you’re-alive
Chicago blues sound. Moss has definitely brought
that sound to this new Teardrop release, and as
if that weren’t enough, Slim and Nick recruited
a few special guests to add a little seasoning to
a few tracks on the CD. The guests include James
Cotton, Lil’ Ed Williams, Lonnie Brooks, Elvin
Bishop, Gene Barge and Otis Clay, and each man adds
something special to their respective tracks, even
while each track remains solidly a Magic Slim &
The Teardrop performance. Now, on to the songs…

The
Songs:

Let
Me Love You -- What a great leadoff track
to this CD! A ½ minute instrumental intro
sets the stage to one of Slim’s patented Chicago
shuffles. You just gotta smile when you listen to
this song!

You
Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had
-- This song features the hurricane-force harp work
of Mr. James Cotton! James can still blow a mighty
harp and does so on this track. Slim and his Teardrops
tackle an old Muddy Waters tune and do it justice.
Picture yourself in a ‘50s Chicago basement
blues club and you’ll have an idea of what
this song sounds like – deep blues!

Give
Me Back My Wig -- A signature song of Hound
Dog Taylor, done up here in the Teardrops style
- how righteous it is! Slim brought in Lil’
Ed Williams (Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials)
to play slide on this one. As Ed is one of the best
(last?) practitioners of the Elmore/Hound Dog/Hutto
school of Chicago slide guitar, his smokin’
slide fits this cut like, well, a wig! Tight baby,
tight!

Lonely
Man -- The Teardrops cover a Little Milton
Campbell song here. It’s got the old Magic
Slim sound, but the track didn’t click with
me all that well. Maybe it’s mostly due to
the strength of the 1st 3 tracks, or maybe it’s
the fact that Little Milton’s music was less
raw than Slim’s. Whatever the reason, this
one just didn’t quite take off.

Spider
In My Stew -- This song was written by
the King of blues songwriters, Willie Dixon. What
a fantastic legacy of great songs Willie left behind!
This is a slower blues, with gritty guitar by Slim
and perfect backing by the band. This song jells
very well; pure ensemble Chicago blues (a Nick Moss
specialty by the way.) As a bonus, Lonnie Brooks
guests on guitar. Nice track!

Going
Down The Road Feeling Bad -- Here’s
a loose-sounding take on an old traditional tune.
This one takes you back to the countryside of Mississippi,
back to the jukes. It’s a quick shuffle with
an old-timey feel, and is a lot of fun.

Full
Load Boogie -- Yes it is! A full load of
boogie, indeed. Just 2 ½ minutes of the band
boogying and vamping, no vocals necessary. I think
this song was custom made to get backsides moving
out on the dance floor. I had to take time out from
writing this review to get and shake my moneymaker
some. Ahh, that felt good!

Crosseyed
Cat -- Slim and the Teardrops take on another
Muddy Waters tune here. Muddy featured it on his
mid-70s Hard Again LP if I’m not mistaken.
Slim changes it a bit, recasting it as a mid-tempo
shuffle from Muddy’s very hard electric blues.
It doesn’t have the same bite as Muddy’s
tune, but is a great song for dancing and carrying
on, and pretty darn good for listening as well.

House
Cat Blues -- I think we’ve got a
theme going now, with two “cat” songs
in a row. This song is an up-tempo jukin’
blues. It’s nothing fancy, just good old groovin’,
dancin’ ensemble blues music made to make
you feel good – which is a Magic Slim &
the Teardrop specialty.

Carla
-- Slim is slowing it down here for a nice change
of pace after the last three up-tempo tunes. Needless
to say, Slim’s been waiting up on “Carla”,
late on into the night, and she just hasn’t
been coming on home… This song is raw and
slow, but it sure sounds right.

Cryin’
Won’t Let You Stay -- The title might
lead you to believe this is another slow one, but
it’s not. It’s a raw jukin’ mid-tempo
shuffle, the kind of thing The Teardrops are masters
of. This is a real good one, folks! You could imagine
Slim playing this one for 25 minutes in a crowded
club, with the dancers shaking and moving to the
groove the whole time, never wanting it to end.

What
Is That You Got -- The Teardrops are laying
another slow blues on you here. It’s all groove,
trebly guitar lines, and Slim’s impassioned
vocals.

Loving
You Is The Best Thing That Happened To Me
-- The set ender is a Teardrop take on another Little
Milton Campbell classic. They’ve kept the
horns from the original version, which is a nice
touch, but mixed them in with The Teardrops much
more raw sound (Little Milton’s music was
much more “urban” in style than that
of Magic Slim & The Teardrops.) It’s definitely
different from anything else on the album, but it’s
also a nice change-up from Slim’s more typical
shuffles and boogies. This song works better than
their take on Milton’s “Lonely Man”,
found earlier on the CD.

The
Verdict:

I like this CD quite a bit
and whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone. It’s
a nice move back to what The Teardrops do best.
I didn’t care much for Slim’s last couple
of studio CDs, which were produced by Popa Chubby.
Chubby “updated” Slim’s sound
at times, which just wasn’t necessary. Nick
Moss was recruited to produce this new CD, and his
sympathetic ear has brought Slim’s sound fully
back to the full-on electric Chicago blues –
no dubbing, scratching, rapping or hard rock guitar,
just 100% pure blues content. If you’re planning
a house party anytime soon make sure to include
this CD among your music! On to the STLBluesOMeter
rating; I’m giving this one a solid 4.50.